NHS Health Fair Highlights Important

Health Topics For Students

By Eliza Hallabeck

As Newtown High School students walked through the school’s lobby on Wednesday, April 28, they had the option of speaking to multiple specialists on a range of topics during a Health Fair.

This year’s Health Fair had the theme of “Move It!,” according to Jill Patterson, RD, resident dietitian for Chartwells in Newtown.

From playing an interactive game called “Eat This, Not That,” based on the Eat This, Not That books by David Zinczenko, according to Ms Patterson, to speaking to New Milford GMS Rowing Center representatives Tim Davies and Peter Orlando, students had multiple choices for what they could learn about.

Newtown schools health advisor Ana Paula Machado and district school nursing supervisor Dee Cupole shared information about learning how to compare nutrition facts on the back of food labels.

“You start to see where good nutrition has more of the good things, and not as much of the bad things,” said Dr Machado to one interested visitor to her station.

Mr Davies said rowing gives students strength, endurance, and the ability to work as a team.

Newtown Public Schools health coordinator Judy Blanchard said all stations were asked to make their presentations interactive for students.

“Move It!” was chosen as the theme to help support First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, according to Ms Blanchard.

“It’s all about the sugar we eat while not realizing we are eating it,” said Dr Aaron Coopersmith, who was speaking to students on Wednesday about the effects sugar can have.

He said members of NHS’s cross country team were enthusiastic about the station, and learning that eating lean protein, fruits, and vegetables before exertion is a healthy option.

Health District Director Donna Culbert joked at her booth that the day before the Health Fair, she had been telling residents outside of Newtown Middle School entering to vote on the town’s referendum, that “it’s not political. Ticks will bite anybody.”

 In the lobby of NHS, she said, the students were responding well to her “BLAST” message.

She listed the five ways to help stay safe from ticks as “Bathe” or shower soon after coming indoors, “Look” for ticks and remove with tweezers, “Apply” repellents for skin and/or clothing, “Spray” the perimeter of your yard for ticks, and “Treat” your pets with a product recommended by your veterinarian.

Additional information on ticks and tick bite prevention is available at www.ct.gov/case, click on “Tick Management Handbook,” according to Ms Culbert.

Parks and Recreation Director Amy Mangold and Assistant Director RoseAnn Reggiano spoke to students about events in Newtown that would allow students to get out and be active.

“It’s nice,” said Ms Mangold about the fair. “It makes them aware of things that are going on in town that they may not know about.”

The NHS Students Against Destructive Decisions group also had a table that passed out a healthy habits survey for students to fill out.